NASHUA – As Nashua tries to maintain a balance between safety and reopening the economy, city leaders emphasize the importance of wearing face masks.

During Wednesday’s city press conference, Mayor Jim Donchess said he knows people across the city are suffering as a result of the economic effects that have occurred so far as a result of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). In Nashua alone, estimates show that more than 10,000 people, including those working in Massachusetts, have filed for unemployment, meaning they are out of work.

As a result, families are hurting, and although they are receiving a supplement from the federal government, those funds are temporary. Donchess also cited small businesses such as restaurants and retail stores that are hurting as well after having to close their doors for a couple of months.

“As we move forward, we are going to exercise the desire that you wear masks and that we continue the social distancing,” Donchess said.

While Nashua is not a huge sample, Donchess also said that in the month of May the trend is downward in terms of the number of new cases of COVID-19. City officials want to see the number of cases and hospitalizations decline so that the city can gradually, corresponding with that progress, begin to open the economy and allow businesses to, step by step, function more normally.

Moreover, there is a risk that a second outbreak occurs as the economy opens back up. Donchess explained that oftentimes coronaviruses subside during the warmer months but can then reemerge once colder weather arrives.

“That’s how other coronaviruses act, and in addition, if that phenomenon occurs while the state has reopened its economy so there’s more interaction, more personal contact between people, the risk of a second outbreak certainly is there,” Donchess said. “But we don’t know and neither do the medical experts, but we want to exercise caution.”

One of the ways to do that is continuing to test a lot of people in order to get an early indication if the number of cases are beginning to rise and if there is an early reemergence of COVID-19. In taking a cautious approach to reopening the economy, the city last week approved Ordinance 20-018 by a vote of 10 to 3, which requires face coverings in certain public spaces.

“This would include wearing the mask in outdoor areas where business is conducted as well as work sites and in government buildings,” Director of the Division of Public Health and Community Services in Nashua Bobbie Bagley said.

She explained that this emergency public health order was put into effect to require the wearing of masks when in situations where six feet or more of distancing cannot be maintained. She said the reason for this is also because it has been learned that there is asymptomatic spread of COVID-19. Proper use of face masks by customers and employees of various businesses means wearing masks so that they cover both an individual’s mouth and nose.

“We want to make sure that we’re wearing our face masks when we’re in these settings to stop the spread of our respiratory droplets and someone else coming into contact with that,” Bagley said.

People should also wear face masks when entering a restaurant, and even if dining outdoors people should be wearing them when they arrive. Additionally, masks should be worn when entering a residential or commercial building where there is a communal area.

Bagley said children under age 10 are not required to wear a face covering. Masks are also not recommended for children under age 2. Also, if an individual has a medical condition that exempts them from wearing a mask, such as limiting their ability to effectively breath for example, they are then not required to do so.

Capt. Craig Allard with the Nashua Police Department said that so far the department has received five calls regarding the mask ordinance since it passed. Three of those were unfounded, but there were two instances of noncompliance. What police did in those situations was education.

“Our goal is not for this to be a punitive thing, but an educational piece,” Allard said.

Allard also said the goal is to issue zero summonses for failure to comply with this ordinance. However, this is still a violation that could result in up to a $1,000 fine, but Allard said that is not always the case. If a summons is issued, Allard explained that an individual would get a court date, appear before a judge and complete the case with the judge determining what the fine would be, unless the judge shows otherwise. Additionally, Allard said the department’s last resort would be to issue a summons for this ordinance violation.

Adam Urquhart may be contacted at 594-1206, or at aurquhart@nashuatelegraph.com.

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